TO HOLD THE BIT LIGHTLY, USING THE CURB. 21 



LESSON II. 



TO HOLD THE BIT LIGHTLY {FLEXION DE LA MIcEOIEE), 

 USING THE CURB. 



Begin by assuring yourself that the horse has forgot- 

 ten nothing of the previous lesson. Do not allow him 

 to sidle up to you upon your movement of the whip 

 towards him, nor to twist his nose towards you, but make 

 him advance in a straight line. 



Now, standing at the left of the horse's head, with 

 your feet firmly planted a little way apart, take the left 

 snaffle -rein in the left hand, and the left curb-rein in 

 the right, at five or six inches from their respective bits, 

 and having brought the head into the proper perpendic- 

 ular position, pull the two hands apart with gentle but 

 steady force. Hold your whip, meanwhile, tip down- 

 ward in the right hand, to prevent him from running 

 back, which can be done without relaxing your pull by 

 tapping him with it upon the breast. 



The object of this lesson, as well as of those which 

 follow, is to overcome involuntary muscular contraction. 

 In some cases, as probably in the present one, the con- 

 tractions are simply nervous, and will cease with the 



